157. Clemency and Meekness

1. Clemency is the virtue which moderates the anger of asuperior in punishing, or passing sentence upon, one who is subjectto him. Meekness is the virtue which moderates anger in aperson's own soul. Therefore clemency and meekness are notidentical, although they appear very similar.

2. Moral virtues, or will-virtues, bring the appetitesunder the control of reason. It is clear that both clemency andmeekness are moral virtues.

3. Clemency and meekness are aligned with the virtue oftemperance, and are thus parts of that cardinalvirtue.

4. Moral virtues are not so great, in point of nobilityand excellence, as the theological virtues of supernatural faith,hope, and charity. Hence clemency and meekness are not the greatestof virtues. Nor are they so great as the virtues of prudence,justice, and fortitude.

"The name of Jesus, pronounced with reverence and affection, has a kind of power to soften the heart. " St Philip Neri

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"The supreme perfection of man in this life is to be so united to God that all his soul with all its faculties and powers are so gathered into the Lord God that he becomes one spirit with him, and remembers nothing except God, is aware of and recognises nothing but God, but with all his desires unified by the joy of love, he rests contentedly in the enjoyment of his Maker alone." St Albert the Great

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"When the devil has failed in making a man fall, he puts forward all his energies to create distrust between the penitent and the confessor, and so by little and little he gains his end at last." St Philip Neri